Miami University
Marshall
Softball Falls to Marshall, 6-1
2/24/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢'¬" In the opening day of competition at the Carolina Classic, Miami University's softball team was unable to contain the timely Marshall offense, falling 6-1 Friday afternoon at Anderson Stadium at the University of North Carolina.
After the RedHawks went down in order to start the first inning, the Thundering Herd struck first as junior catcher Taylor McCord homered to center, giving them an early 1-0 lead against freshman starter Jaime Scher.
In the top of the second, sophomore first baseman Johniann Wahl was hit by a pitch, but a double play ended the frame for Miami. In the bottom half, a walk and a single gave Marshall runners on first and second with one out, leading to a double that extended its advantage to 3-0.
Following another fruitless frame for the RedHawks, the Herd challenged again in the bottom of the third, using their speed on the bases to place two in scoring position. However, Scher was able to induce a ground-out and fly-out to hold off any damage, keeping the game at 3-0.
A single from freshman second baseman Hannah Obrey gave Miami its first hit of the day, but a pop-up stranded her on second to end the top of the fourth. Sophomore Shannon Hohman moved over to the mound from designated player in the bottom half. After quickly retiring the first two Marshall batters, a single followed by a double from McCord broadened Miami's deficit to 4-0.
Needing to begin rallying, Hohman helped her own cause in the top of the fifth with a single to left, but the RedHawks' offense remained stifled. The top of the sixth started promisingly for Miami with a single by freshman left fielder Haeley Tran, followed by an error on a fielder's choice by Wurts that advanced Tran to third. Sophomore shortstop Michaela Schlattman finally put Miami on the board with a single to left that scored Tran. Wahl was then hit by a pitch and loaded the bases, but Miami was unable to put any more runs on the board.
Marshall clinched the victory in the bottom of the sixth when senior shortstop Morgan Zerkle homered to left center, bringing in two to make it 6-1 Marshall. In the top of the seventh, Herd starter Jordan Dixon retired the RedHawks in order to seal a complete game victory.
In a tough outing for the Miami offense, Schlattman went 1-for-3 with an RBI single. Scher moved to 1-1 with the loss, allowing six hits and striking out one in three innings.
The RedHawks return to the field tomorrow afternoon for a doubleheader against North Carolina and Hampton. The matchup with the Tar Heels begins at 3:30 p.m. and will be available on ESPN3, followed by the contest with the Pirates at 6 p.m.
Check MiamiRedHawks.com for live stats and scoring updates from the Carolina Classic.
